This "Rick Santorum for President," bus showed up on the campaign trail today, but it's not a campaign bus. It's driven by the Duggar family,of the TLC show show "19 and Counting." (William Petroski/The Register)

Boone, Ia. – Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum said today that an 11th-hour robo-calling effort is being waged against his presidential campaign in a false effort to claim that’s he’s against the rights of Americans to bear arms.

Noting could be further from the truth, said the Pennsylvania Republican, who gave Weatherby over/under shotguns to two of his sons as Christmas gifts. He pointed out to a crowd of well over 100 people at the Pizza Ranch here today that he just went pheasant hunting last week near Adel with U.S. Rep. Steve King and bagged four game birds. His oldest son, John, 20, also had a successful hunting trip.

Santorum spokesman Hogan Gidley said Santorum had an A-Plus rating from the National Rifle Association during his two terms in the U.S. Senate.

Last week during a town hall meeting in Waterloo, Santorum was quizzed about his stance on Americans’ right to bear arms by a man who said he has received an email suggesting the candidate was weak on 2nd Amendment issues.

Santorum said he had been a leader in Congress on gun rights’ issues.. He added, however, that he was aware of one pro-gun group that has asked candidates if they would repeal every gun law on the books, including one that prohibits illegal aliens from having guns.

“No, I am not going to repeal every law,” Santorum said.

Anyone who is truly concerned about the future of gun rights should make sure that President Barack Obama is not reelected, Santorum said. If Obama serves a second term in the White House he could appoint Supreme Court justices who would be unfriendly to gun owners, tipping the balance of the current Supreme Court, he added.